John Cusack.

John Paul Cusack

Born 28 Jun 1966 Evanston, United States

Citizenship United States

Age 60 yr Today

14 min read

Reading time

2,692

Words

Oct 20, 2026

Published

Awards

TL;DR

In 1989, John Cusack starred as Lloyd Dobler in Cameron Crowe’s Say Anything, a role that defined his early career. He co-wrote and starred in the hit comedy Grosse Pointe Blank 1997 and adapted Nick Hornby’s novel for High Fidelity 2000. He also founded New Crime Productions with high school friends and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Identity & family.

KIN · 5

Names, aliases, and relatives of John Cusack — birth name, kin, and personal ties.

Birth Name John Paul Cusack

Nicknames Johnny

Aliases John Cusak

Parents: Dick Cusack
Siblings: Joan Cusack Ann Cusack Susie Cusack Bill Cusack

At a glance.

STATS

John Cusack by the numbers — life, work, and family.

60 Age

2 Awards

Who is John Cusack?

BIOGRAPHY

John Cusack — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.

Early life

John Cusack was born on June 28, 1966 in Evanston, Illinois to an Irish-American family. His father Dick Cusack was an actor and filmmaker, and his mother Nancy Carolan was a math teacher. Growing up, John and his siblings, including Joan Cusack, performed in plays at home. He joined the Piven Theatre Workshop in elementary school and by age 12 had commercial voice overs and industrial films under his belt. He attended Evanston Township High School and later New York University Tisch School of the Arts.

Career

Cusack made his feature film debut at 17 in Class 1983 alongside Rob Lowe and Andrew McCarthy. His next role in Sixteen Candles 1984 put him in the teen-flick spotlight. He stayed busy with leads in The Sure Thing 1985 and Better Off Dead 1985. In 1989, he became an icon of romantic comedy as Lloyd Dobler in Say Anything. The following year, he played a con man in The Grifters 1990. After a quiet period, Cusack co-wrote and starred in Grosse Pointe Blank 1997, a career renaissance. He also played a federal agent in Con Air 1997 and a puppeteer in Being John Malkovich 1999, earning an Independent Spirit Award nomination. In 2000, he starred in High Fidelity, another New Crime production. He has also appeared in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil 1997, 1408 2007, and Hot Tub Time Machine 2010.

Personal life

Cusack has been romantically linked to several celebrities, including Minnie Driver, Alison Eastwood, Claire Forlani, Neve Campbell, and Meg Ryan. He dated Driver after attending his ten-year high school reunion, which he promised to do as a bet for Grosse Pointe Blank financing. He is close with his siblings, often acting alongside sister Joan Cusack in ten films. Cusack is an avid kickboxer, training with champion Benny Urquidez, and holds a black belt in Ukidokan. He also enjoys helicopter snowboarding and is a fan of punk rock, especially The Clash.

Legacy

John Cusack’s portrayal of Lloyd Dobler in Say Anything ranked #72 on Premiere‘s 100 Greatest Movie Characters. His independent spirit led him to found New Crime Productions, which produced cult favorites like Grosse Pointe Blank and High Fidelity. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on April 24, 2012. He is the subject of the Fall Out Boy song Honorable Mention and was named Stoner of the Year by High Times in 2010. He is remembered for his offbeat choices and for bringing authentic, everyman heroes to the screen.

Awards & honors.

AWARDS · 2

Every award, honor, and recognition received by John Cusack — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.

Satellite Award for Best Cast – Motion Picture
star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Notable quotes.

QUOTES · 8

A wall of memorable lines from John Cusack — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.

I Was a Teen Star. That’s Disgusting Enough.
I Won’t Call Myself a Child Actor Because That Sounds Psychotic.
You Think About the Hundreds of Thousands of Iraqis Who Have Died and All the Soldiers Who Have Come Back Wounded and Maimed. You Read the Paper and Four More Soldiers Last Week Died and Mercenaries Have Killed 27 People in Baghdad, Mercenaries Who Are Getting Money from Our Tax Dollars That Should Be Going to Protect the Troops, and I’m Depressed About the Cubs Game. There’s a Disconnect There. My Point in All Seriousness Is That It’s Such an Abstraction, and This Government Has Asked Us to Sacrifice Nothing for This. the Troops Are Sacrificing Everything. It Just Seems Like an Obscenity.
If I Feel They’re Playing with the Tiger Too Much, I’m Like: Don’t Go There. Don’t Get into It. That Stuff Only Goes One Way. If People Are Constantly Reading About You, and You’re Overexposed, They’ve Got No Reason to Go See Your Movies. Also, It’s Not Pleasant or Nice to Have Your Privacy Invaded.
The Movies Have Got More Corporate. They’re Making Fewer Movies in General, and Those They Are Making Are All $200M-$300m Tent-pole Releases That Eat up All the Oxygen.
Sometimes I’m Think I’m in Control, but More and More I Realize That It’s Just a Complete Farce. It Used to Be That If You Did a Big, Big Movie Then You Could Leverage It and Make Some Smaller, Cooler Ones. and I Got Away with That for a Few Years. but Now They Just Want You to Put on Tights. If You Don’t Put on the Tights They Just Want to Get Rid of You. and I’m Not Putting on the Tights. so You Know…
L.A. Is a Town Full of so Many Desert Crazies, Snake-oil Salesmen, Carnival Barkers and Fake Spiritualists That It’s Impossible to Spot a Real One.
Theo Epstein Has This Weird Hue Around Him. His Vision Helped End Historic World Series Droughts in Both Chicago and Boston. but His Power Lies in a Paradox, in the Knowledge That the Only Way to Keep Power Is to Give It Away. He Knows Wrigley Field Is a Multigenerational Secular Church. Our Families Have Been There a Long, Long Time. We Are All Just Renting – Nobody Owns This. Theo May Be a Creature of Destiny, but He Recognizes That He Is Also Just Another Flawed Human Being, No Better Than Anyone Else. It’s an Artful Thing to Thread That Needle and Wear It as a Matter of Common Sense. He’s More Old World Than Old School. Words and Deeds Need to Match. Trust Is Earned. He Apologizes to No One for Trying. You Can See It in the Eyes of Those He Holds Close. the Relationships Are Far More Personal and Dignified Than People Crowding Around a Winner.

Did you know?

FACTS · 48

Little-known facts about John Cusack — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.

Sister Joan Cusack appeared in 10 of his movies: Class 1983, Sixteen Candles 1984, Grandview, U.S.A. 1984, Broadcast News 1987, Say Anything 1989, Grosse Pointe Blank 1997, Cradle Will Rock 1999, High Fidelity 2000, Martian Child 2007, and War, Inc. 2008.
During the famous boom box serenade scene in Say Anything 1989, he is actually playing his favorite Fishbone tape on the boom box, while Peter Gabriel’s song In Your Eyes is played in the movie.
Big fan of punk rock music, his favorite band being The Clash.
Was originally the actor chosen to play John Bender in The Breakfast Club 1985, but at the last minute the role went to Judd Nelson.
He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6644 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on April 24, 2012.
Some kind of reference to his favorite bands usually The Clash, The Ramones or The Specials makes at least one appearance in most of his films, often as a T-shirt or poster.
In 1994, he attended his 10th year high school reunion in Illinois as part of a bet with producers of Grosse Pointe Blank 1997.
Close friends with actor Jeremy Piven; they have done 10 movies together including One Crazy Summer 1986, Say Anything 1989, Grosse Pointe Blank 1997, and Serendipity 2001.
He started training in kickboxing for his role in Say Anything 1989 under champion Benny Urquidiez and eventually gained a level six black belt in Ukidokan.
Is the subject of the song Honorable Mention by the rock band Fall Out Boy.
Has a production company called New Crime Productions that produced Grosse Pointe Blank 1997, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas 1998, and The Jack Bull 1999.
Growing up, John and his siblings often put on plays at home; his older sister Ann once staged Cinderella in which she played Cinderella, Joan played the Ugly Stepsister, Bill played Prince Charming, and John played the dog.
Considers the scripts to Max 2002 and Being John Malkovich 1999 the best he has read.
Likes to go helicopter snowboarding and kickboxing with stunt coordinator Benny Urquidez; has a black belt in Ukidokan.
In 2006, when Total Film magazine asked him for a Top 5 list of his movies, he answered with The Grifters 1990, Grosse Pointe Blank 1997, The Thin Red Line 1998, High Fidelity 2000, and Max 2002.
Was once roommates with Jeremy Piven.
Beat out Robert Downey Jr., Christian Slater, and Kirk Cameron for the role of Lloyd Dobler in Say Anything 1989.
Attended a theatre school in Chicago with sisters Joan and Ann Cusack, managed by the parents of his best friend Jeremy Piven.
Education: Piven Theatre Workshop Evanston, Illinois and one semester at New York University.
His performance as Lloyd Dobler in Say Anything 1989 is ranked #72 on Premiere magazine’s 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.
Was good friends with Hunter S. Thompson and nearly got to play him in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas 1998.
Lobbied hard for the role of Neo in The Matrix 1999 but it went to Keanu Reeves.
He and his good friend Tim Robbins made six movies together including Bob Roberts 1992, The Player 1992, and High Fidelity 2000.
Turned down the role of Fred Haise in Apollo 13 1995, which went to Bill Paxton.
Turned down the role of David Murphy in Indecent Proposal 1993, which went to Woody Harrelson.
Was named Stoner of the Year by High Times magazine in 2010 for his performance in Hot Tub Time Machine 2010.
Is Irish-American; the name Cusack is Norman, brought to Ireland when the Normans invaded in 1169.
Comes from a passionately liberal Irish Catholic family; his mother still gets arrested for anti-militarism and pro-human rights protests.
Brother of Joan, Ann, Susie, and Bill Cusack; son of Dick Cusack actor, documentary filmmaker and Nancy Cusack teacher.
Was considered for the role of Billy Flynn in Chicago 2002 but lost it to Richard Gere.
Has worked six times with fellow actor/stuntman Benny Urquidez in films like Grosse Pointe Blank 1997 and Con Air 1997.
Has had 24 famous girlfriends including Uma Thurman, Minnie Driver, Neve Campbell, and Meg Ryan.
The novel Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez is prominently referenced in two of his movies High Fidelity and Serendipity.
Tested for the role of Madmartigan in Willow 1988 but lost to Val Kilmer.
Has appeared in two movies as a limo driver: Identity 2003 and 2012 2009, both with co-star Amanda Peet.
Has homes in Malibu, California, and Chicago, Illinois.
Attended and graduated from Evanston Township High School in Evanston, Illinois 1980.
Has worked twice with Nicolas Cage: in Con Air 1997 and The Frozen Ground 2013, with roles reversed each time.
Was awarded the 1990 Joseph Jefferson Award Citation for Director of a Play for Methusalem at New Crime Productions Theatre in Chicago.
Was originally set to play Walter Eberhart in The Stepford Wives 2004 but dropped out; the role went to Matthew Broderick.
Was a supporter of Bono’s DATA campaign Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa.
Was attached to play Nite Owl in the unfilmed adaptation of Watchmen 2009.
Was considered for Paul Brenner in The General’s Daughter 1999 but deemed too young; the role went to John Travolta.
Last name is pronounced Q-zack.
Chosen by Empire Magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Movie Stars in the World #70 in 2007.
Good friends with professional volleyball player Gabrielle Reece.
Ranked #15 on Tropopkin magazine’s Top 25 Most Intriguing People in Issue #100.
Born on the same date as Mary Stuart Masterson.

You wanted to know.

FAQ · 37

Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about John Cusack.

When was John Cusack born?

John Cusack was born on June 28, 1966. He is 59 years old as of 2025.
Where was John Cusack born?

He was born in Evanston, Illinois, USA. He is of Irish-American descent.
How old is John Cusack?

John Cusack is 59 years old as of 2025. He was born on June 28, 1966.
What is John Cusack's real name?

His full birth name is John Paul Cusack. He is often credited simply as John Cusack.
What does John Cusack do for a living?

John Cusack is an actor, producer, and writer. He has also worked as a director and screenwriter.
What nationality is John Cusack?

John Cusack is American. He was born in the United States and holds U.S. citizenship.
What language does John Cusack speak?

His native language is English. He is a native English speaker.
Who are John Cusack's parents?

His father is Dick Cusack, an actor and documentary filmmaker. His mother is Nancy Carolan, a former math teacher.
Does John Cusack have any siblings?

Yes, he has four siblings: Joan Cusack, Ann Cusack, Susie Cusack, and Bill Cusack. All are actors.
Where did John Cusack go to school?

He attended Evanston Township High School, the Piven Theatre Workshop, and studied briefly at New York University Tisch School of the Arts.
What awards has John Cusack won?

He won a Satellite Award for Best Cast – Motion Picture and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012.
How many awards has John Cusack won?

He has won two major awards: a Satellite Award and a Hollywood Walk of Fame star.
What is John Cusack best known for?

He is best known for his roles in Say Anything 1989, Grosse Pointe Blank 1997, High Fidelity 2000, and Being John Malkovich 1999.
What is John Cusack's Instagram?

His Instagram handle is @johncusack. He is also active on Twitter under the same handle.
How tall is John Cusack?

John Cusack is 6 feet 2 inches 1.88 m tall. His height often stands out on screen.
What is John Cusack's nickname?

His nickname is Johnny. It is a common diminutive form of John used by friends and family.
Has John Cusack ever used an alias?

He has been credited as John Cusak in some early works, likely due to a misspelling. This is not a professional alias.
Does John Cusack have children?

No, John Cusack does not have children. He has never been married and has no publicly known offspring.
What was John Cusack's first feature film?

His first feature film was Class 1983, where he acted alongside Rob Lowe and Andrew McCarthy. He was 17 at the time.
Which film did John Cusack co-write?

He co-wrote Grosse Pointe Blank 1997 with Steve Pink and D.V. DeVincentis. He also starred in the film.
What is the name of John Cusack's production company?

His production company is called New Crime Productions. It was founded with high school friends Steve Pink and D.V. DeVincentis.
Who is John Cusack's frequent co-star?

His sister Joan Cusack has appeared in 10 of his films, including Say Anything, Grosse Pointe Blank, and High Fidelity.
What band is John Cusack's favorite?

His favorite band is The Clash. References to The Clash often appear in his movies, such as T-shirts or posters.
Did John Cusack train in kickboxing?

Yes, he began training for his role in Say Anything and later earned a black belt in Ukidokan under champion Benny Urquidez.
What role did John Cusack almost play in The Matrix?

He lobbied hard for the role of Neo in The Matrix 1999, but the part went to Keanu Reeves.
What song is John Cusack the subject of?

He is the subject of the song Honorable Mention by the rock band Fall Out Boy.
What magazine named John Cusack Stoner of the Year?

He was named Stoner of the Year by High Times magazine in 2010 for his role in Hot Tub Time Machine.
Who is John Cusack's best friend?

His best friend is actor Jeremy Piven. They have appeared in 10 movies together and were once roommates.
How is John Cusack's last name pronounced?

His last name is pronounced Q-zack. It is of Norman origin, not Slavic.
Did John Cusack attend his high school reunion?

Yes, he attended his 10-year reunion in 1994 as part of a bet to secure financing for Grosse Pointe Blank.
Where did John Cusack receive his theater training?

He trained at the Piven Theatre Workshop in Evanston, Illinois, which was managed by the parents of Jeremy Piven.
When did John Cusack get his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?

He received his star on April 24, 2012 at 6644 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
What is John Cusack's favorite film?

One of his favorite films is Apocalypse Now 1979. He has cited it in interviews.
Did John Cusack ever turn down a role in Apollo 13?

Yes, he turned down the role of Fred Haise in Apollo 13 1995, which was later played by Bill Paxton.
What is the name of John Cusack's mother?

His mother is Nancy Carolan, a former math teacher who is also known for her anti-war activism.
How many siblings does John Cusack have?

He has four siblings: Joan, Ann, Susie, and Bill. All are involved in show business.
What is John Cusack's educational background in acting?

He studied at the Piven Theatre Workshop and briefly attended New York University. He also graduated from Evanston Township High School.

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Audited & updated by

Olivia has 6 years of experience writing biographical profiles and still approaches every subject like it's the first one. She covers everyone from debut musicians to Hall of Fame athletes to novelists most people have never heard of. She finds something worth reading in all of them. Her drafts tend to come in already clean, which her editor appreciates. She says good writing is just good thinking written down. Hard to argue with that.

Published on October 20, 2026

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